The present invention relates generally to an amusement device and, more particularly, relates to an amusement device having time-based operating modes.
Amusement devices, such as game machines, which allow a user to select games from a video display are well known in the art such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,787 (Itkis); U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,717 (Houriet, Jr. et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,799 (Houriet, Jr. et al.), the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein, each of which shows a touchscreen display for making a game selection from a menu of games. Such game machines or amusement devices typically operate upon input of currency (i.e., coin, token, paper money, credit/debit cards and the like) and are installed in bars, restaurants, airports, shopping malls, video arcades and the like. The game choices may include card games, sports games, games of skill, games of chance, action games, trivia games and the like.
Amusement devices which operate upon input of currency (either coin, token or paper money) typically track machine usage in a meter. Typically, each currency input creates a pulse which sequentially advances the meter or each currency input grants a predetermined number of game play credits and the meter is advanced by the granted number of play credits.
Some amusement devices are capable of being set to provide bonus credits for additional currency inputs. For example, a gaming machine may be set to grant one game per quarter, but will grant five games per dollar (a bonus credit of one game). A user may deposit a dollar bill, for example, and receive five credits, but each selected game may only require one credit to play. Thus, the user is left with a balance of four unused credits after selecting a single game to play. Also, some games are configured to award bonus credits for winning the high score during a game or for some other predetermined event. In that case a user may be left with a balance of credits that exceeds the original number of credits paid for by the user.
Some regulatory agencies, state or local, have “gaming” regulations which do not permit games to have a remaining balance of credit in excess of some regulated predetermined value, such as one credit. The intent of such regulations is to minimize possible illicit uses of amusement devices such as for illegal gambling and the like. However, as a result of such regulations, an owner or operator of an amusement device may lose revenue because users may need to be refunded change for the credits immediately or higher prices may be charged for a game. For example, instead of charging twenty five cents per game (one credit), the owner/operator may charge fifty cents or a dollar per game so that there would be no refunds required and one or less credits remaining at the end of a user's game.
It is desirable to provide an amusement device configured to operate in a time based mode. Further, it is desirable to provide an amusement device configured to operate in a time based mode where a block of time may be purchased in advance so that a user may switch between different games and activities during the block of time. Even further, it is desirable to provide an amusement device configured to operate in a time based mode where a user may switch between different games and activities for as long as they desire or until a predetermined period of time has elapsed thereby causing the user to be billed for the time retroactively.